Reaction to asbestos announcement

A lawyer representing the lead case in today's Supreme Court judgment on asbestos-related cancer said it provided "clarity, consistency and comfort" for the families of victims.

The ruling said insurers covering employers at the time of exposure to the illness were liable for the illness.

Helen Ashton from Irwin Mitchell, who represented the lead claimant in the case, said the judgment means the families of the thousands of victims would "get access to justice and receive the financial security they need."

“Asbestos-related disease is the biggest killer in the workplace in Britain, causing more than 5,000 deaths every year. The number of people affected by mesothelioma is still rising and because of the time it can take for this illness to develop it is expected to peak around 2015."